Contractor has no hard feelings about Lincoln High work stoppage

Tuesday

Dec 23, 2008 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - The Sacramento-based contractor that was told to stop working on Lincoln High School's $6 million career and technical education center Thursday called the work stoppage "a tragedy for all involved" and is hopeful for a fast solution, a spokesman said Monday.

The Record

STOCKTON - The Sacramento-based contractor that was told to stop working on Lincoln High School's $6 million career and technical education center Thursday called the work stoppage "a tragedy for all involved" and is hopeful for a fast solution, a spokesman said Monday.

Clark & Sullivan Construction Operations Manager Silas Nigam said that even though Lincoln Unified violated its contract with his firm, the contractor holds no animosity about the project stalling, even as the district owes about $1.2 million for work already completed.

"The district has been a great client of ours, and we have nothing but great things to say about them," Nigam said.

Superintendent Steven Lowder said Friday that he had to tell 40 Clark & Sullivan workers to go home, leaving the career and technical education center incomplete. There are walls and an unfinished roof built, but nothing done on the interior, Lowder said. The window areas have been boarded up to protect the building from weather damage.

Lowder admitted that the contractor has a right to sue, but Nigam said the firm has yet to process any billing on the project and a lawsuit will not be filed any time soon.

"Our direction is to stop construction right now. We feel bad for the district and understand their reasons," Nigam said.

The work stoppage was prompted after a state panel pulled the plug on funding for 2,000 school and infrastructure projects statewide. Lincoln Unified also is facing a $3 million general fund shortfall that prevents the district from completing the project with its reserve funds.